Sydney eScholarship Community:http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5677
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 20:58:53 GMT2015-03-31T20:58:53ZLabour Management and Firm Financing: Explaining Workplace Change in CUB's Breweries, 1991-2003http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7065
Title: Labour Management and Firm Financing: Explaining Workplace Change in CUB's Breweries, 1991-2003
Authors: Westcott, Mark
Abstract: The nature of the relationship between company financing and labour management has become increasingly analysed in recent years. Companies in countries characterised by large and relatively liberal capital markets are generally seen to favour market mediated relationships with workers, customers, suppliers and financiers. Moreover, management in these companies are more likely to prioritise the interests of financiers over other parties. Together these observations create a relatively bleak outlook for labour. While there is a growing literature around national systems of corporate governance and models of corporate financing, the extent to which these aggregated tendencies impact on individual company and enterprise level operations remains relatively untested. Some scholars have argued that management retain a capacity to make strategic choices about labour management and that indeed the extent to which companies are sensitive to capital market pressures will vary greatly.
This paper examines the labour management choices made by Fosters, a large Australian multinational company, with respect to its brewery workforce, specifically at its Kent brewery in New South Wales. Fosters management elected to develop a partnership arrangement with its unionised workforce in order to introduce a substantial workplace change program. This change program combined both a focus on cost cutting and skill development. Fosters introduced this program at a time of corporate crisis with the company heavily indebted and unprofitable. That such a program was introduced in this particular context reinforces the notion that strategic choices remain open to management in terms of their approach to labour management. The tightness in financial markets was important for encouraging management to introduce operational reforms at the brewery. However, these conditions did not determine the pursuit of a partnership approach to change.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70652010-12-01T00:00:00ZElectronic Business and Legal Effect of Electronic Contracts in Australiahttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7064
Title: Electronic Business and Legal Effect of Electronic Contracts in Australia
Authors: Tasneem, Farisa
Abstract: Electronic commerce has transformed the manner of conducting commercial transactions which pose challenges to both consumers and business. Attempts are being made to regulate electronic contracts both at the national and international level. This article analyses the manner in which international developments are taking place by organisations such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OECD), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) from the 1980s. The research also analyses the impact of Electronic Transaction Legislation of Australia, Trade Practices Act (1974) and the proposed new amendments. The research highlights the extent to which issues are resolved.
Field of Research: Electronic commerce law, electronic business, internet law and international legal developments.
Research Method and Methodology: Empirical research was employed. Document analysis and study of legislation was performed in relation to internet based transactions.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70642010-12-01T00:00:00ZGender Roles in Ming Dynasty China: The Water Dragon Classichttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7063
Title: Gender Roles in Ming Dynasty China: The Water Dragon Classic
Authors: Paton, Michael
Abstract: This paper considers the relationship between spatiality, emotions and gender from the theoretical perspective of traditional Chinese thought in the early art/science of fengshui (wind and water). The discussion is based on translations of the seminal Form School fengshui text: Mi chuan shuilong jing (the Secretly Passed down Water Dragon Classic), compiled by the renowned scholar Jiang Pingjie in the late Ming dynasty (circa. 1600 CE). The discussion concludes with what light these traditional concepts might shed on present day gender roles and business in China, specifically in relation to the oversimplification of the Confucian basis of Chinese culture in the business literature.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70632010-12-01T00:00:00ZAn Historical Overview of New Zealand SME Policy, 1978-2008http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7062
Title: An Historical Overview of New Zealand SME Policy, 1978-2008
Authors: Jurado, Tanya
Abstract: This paper is an historical enquiry into small and medium enterprise (SME) policy development in New Zealand during the years 1978 to 2008. Following the publication of the Bolton Report (1971) in the United Kingdom and the findings of a United States study on the contribution that SMEs make to the generation of employment, governments in OECD countries, including in New Zealand, paid increasing attention to the development of this important sector of the economy.
There are now numerous studies which have looked into the economic contribution that SMEs make, and a number of papers about government policies might be developed to best assist the growth of SMEs. There has not, however, been a historical account of the circumstances under which SME policy has developed, nor have the distinctive and identifiable features of SME policy-making been understood within the historical context of a particular country.
This study suggests that there have been three distinctive phases in the development of New Zealand government policy towards SMEs. During the 1978 to 1984 period, SME policy was a component of regional policy initiatives within an overall protectionist economic policy environment. In the 1984 to 1998 period there was little targeted assistance, and government policy concentrated on eliminating much of the protectionism that had dominated the New Zealand economy previously. The final period suggested by this study spans the years 1998 to 2008 where the government made more concerted efforts to develop SME policy by using a range of policy tools that included private-public partnerships for the delivery of policy. Policy makers in this latter period were also firmly aware that the SME sector is a complex one and put their efforts into the development of specific and targeted policies directed at SMEs.
This study found that the historical context in which SME policy was developed played an important role in the approach taken by policy makers. It provides insights into the impacts of policy implementation and builds on the existing knowledge-base from which policy makers, SME owner-managers and academic researchers can draw when they consider future SME policy development.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70622010-12-01T00:00:00ZNew Prospectors: The Formation and Early Years of the Scottish Australian Mining Company in Newcastle, NSW, 1850-70http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7061
Title: New Prospectors: The Formation and Early Years of the Scottish Australian Mining Company in Newcastle, NSW, 1850-70
Authors: Knowles, Harry
Abstract: Following the end of the Australian Agricultural Company’s monopoly in the coal-mining region of Newcastle, NSW, in the late 1840s, the Scottish Australian Investment Company (SAIC), headquartered in London, was amongst the first of several firms to seek mining opportunities in the Hunter region of NSW. As part of a broader project evaluating social and economic influences of the Northumberland/Durham coal mining regions on the early development of the Newcastle coalfields, this paper presents an overview of the role of individuals in the events and decisions surrounding formation and early successes of the Scottish Australian Mining Company which went on to become one of the leading coal producers in the region in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70612010-12-01T00:00:00ZAn Early NSW Government Attempt at Solving the Unemployed Problem: The Casual Labour Board, 1887-88http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7060
Title: An Early NSW Government Attempt at Solving the Unemployed Problem: The Casual Labour Board, 1887-88
Authors: Kerr, Melissa
Abstract: Throughout the literature little appears to be known about the early Government attempts to provide public employment services in Australia. Subsequently, there appears to be much conjecture over when and where these first occurred, also in what form they took, and who influenced their design. This paper examines the first attempt to provide a public employment service in New South Wales. While both Coghlan and Reeves have claimed that the Government Labour Bureau was the earliest public employment service in New South Wales, it had a predecessor: the Casual Labour Board established on 2 May 1887 later terminated on 29 December 1888. Faced with high unemployment, unemployed deputations and industrial unrest, Premier Parkes established the Casual Labour Board in an attempt to undertake significant labour market reform. Parkes envisioned a system that would assist and support capital development by facilitating the recruitment process, whilst also alleviating the recurring politically sensitive problem of unemployment. During its 18 months of operations the Casual Labour Board was largely successful in placing nearly 8,000 men in employment, of which approximately 30 per cent were placed in private employment. In an economy with a limited industrial base, this was quite an achievement and demonstrates a genuine need for an employment service. However, the Casual Labour Board was largely born out of political necessity and failed to receive adequate long-term support. Ultimately it was undermined by a number of politically sensitive factors: unsustainable costs associated with the Government relief works; political patronage; and allegations of corruption and fraud.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70602010-12-01T00:00:00Z‘The war is a money making show’: Working-Class Attitudes to World War II and Australian Nationalismhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7059
Title: ‘The war is a money making show’: Working-Class Attitudes to World War II and Australian Nationalism
Authors: Jenvey, Lian
Abstract: This paper will address the conference themes of ‘class, power and social structure’ through examining industrial and ideological conflict during World War II. The paper will also address the theme of ‘class and culture’ through an examination of working-class cultural expression as a means of resistance to the government’s wartime offensive.
What is overlooked in most histories of World War II is the working-class experience of the war and their understanding of nationalism, particularly as nationalism was cynically exploited by the government to undermine working-class identity and solidarity.
The paper will investigate the experience of one of the most militant sections of the Australian working class: the Miners. Primary source material such as the Miners’ journal Common Cause and union records reveal opposition to the war and a much more ambiguous attitude to the national sentiment used to justify Australia’s involvement.
The Miners provide an interesting case study as the union was led by the Communist Party. Therefore the union leadership initially opposed to the war then became enthusiastic supporters when Russia entered the war on the allied side. It is clear that the Miners’ union leadership found it difficult to convince the rank and file to support the war.
The paper will focus upon rank and file attitudes to the war and Australian nationalism particularly during times of industrial unrest.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70592010-12-01T00:00:00ZCorporate Governance as a Movementhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7058
Title: Corporate Governance as a Movement
Authors: Mees, Bernard
Description: Peer reviewedWed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70582010-12-01T00:00:00ZUnderstanding the Internationalisation of Family Businesses: Lessons from the History of Chinese and Lebanese Diasporahttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7057
Title: Understanding the Internationalisation of Family Businesses: Lessons from the History of Chinese and Lebanese Diaspora
Authors: Gupta, Vipin; Graves, Chris; Thomas, Jill
Abstract: The emerging work on the internationalisation of the family businesses suggests that family businesses in general tend have low levels of internationalisation when compared to their non-family counterparts. Here, we review the Diaspora internationalisation history of Chinese family businesses in Southeast Asia, and of Lebanese family businesses in West Africa. The review highlights the interplay with the local varieties of capitalism, and underscores four factors in successful overseas market entry and growth of the overseas family businesses (OFBs): business strategic intent, family stewardship, direct and institution-mediating community sponsorship, and gender-centred leadership. We offer a schematic mapping of these four factors on to the four systems of family business – family, business, ownership, and gender, using Parson’s structural functionalism theory and AGIL schema Implications for further research and for the family business practitioners are discussed.
Description: Peer reviewedWed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70572010-12-01T00:00:00ZA History of the Infringement Notice Mechanism and its Use in the Enforcement of Australia’s Continuous Disclosure Regimehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7056
Title: A History of the Infringement Notice Mechanism and its Use in the Enforcement of Australia’s Continuous Disclosure Regime
Authors: Di Lernia, Cary
Abstract: In modern markets the need for the timely disclosure of detailed, accurate financial information is born of the radical separation of management and control apparent in the majority of large modern organisations. Inadequate disclosure of material information concerning the future and fortunes of listed companies can detract from the integrity of the market and its ability to provide a fair and efficient mechanism for participation in securities markets, while also impacting upon the perceived credibility of financial markets and the corporations constituting them. Reduced confidence in financial markets can in turn have longer-term flow on effects which can be felt throughout the economy. It follows that the effective operation of Australia's continuous disclosure regime is of great consequence in the Australian economic, political and social landscape. This paper details the history of the regime, the reasons for its introduction, and features of its recent enforcement by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). It uses this history to assess whether the most recently created and most often employed enforcement tool, the infringement notice mechanism, is achieving the goals set for it at its inception.
Description: Peer reviewedWed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70562010-12-01T00:00:00ZFour Work-Ins by Australian Journalists, 1944-80http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7055
Title: Four Work-Ins by Australian Journalists, 1944-80
Authors: Russell, Samuel
Abstract: During industrial disputes with employers between 1944 and 1980 the Australian Journalist's Association occasionally turned to the tactic of the work-in, producing wild cat newspapers during strikes in Sydney. These newspapers (The News, and The Clarion) exemplified problematic elements of the work-in as a working-class strategy.
While single incident studies of the work-in have been conducted in Australia, the Australian Journalist Association work-ins present a time series of struggle. This time series allows for a broader evaluation of the radical content of the work-in and indicates that the tactic can become systematised, less radical, and less participatory when not connected to a broader generation of workplace radical behaviour by workers. In short: the work-in, much like the strike or go slow, can become a tame cat tactic – it is not inherently transgressive or opposed to capitalist production.
Expectedly, the first work-ins were more radical in scope, presenting a newspaper which fully duplicated the commodity produced under capitalist control and in some ways exceeded the scope presented by capitalist organised journalism in both a material and a cultural sense.
However, this radical economic potential dissipated by the end of the time series of work-ins. Instead of providing an alternative commodity fit for market, the tactic produced propaganda pieces aimed primarily at the members of the community who would be predisposed to favour the journalist's case. The 1980s Clarion was not a daily newspaper of news, sport, racing, women's interest, classifieds, and general opinion.
This change will be explained in terms of human causes such as skills loss, production process causes such as computerisation and wire services, and broader social causes such as the changing role of the newspaper in Australian society.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70552010-12-01T00:00:00ZLegal Origins of Fair Value Accountinghttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7054
Title: Legal Origins of Fair Value Accounting
Authors: Donleavy, Gabriel
Abstract: The paper seeks answers to the question how FASB was able to introduce the term ‘fair value’ into accounting standards and wider accounting discourse as frictionlessly as it did. Leading relevant court cases in the USA and UK in the previous two centuries had already enabled this to happen, but the judicial rationales for that term were significantly different from the current rationales in FASB and IASB. The paper traces the evolution of the notion from its origins in the ‘just price’ to its court appearances in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution through to its established meaning by the end of last century.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70542010-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Origins and Early Years of the Barossa Community Store, 1944-65http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7053
Title: The Origins and Early Years of the Barossa Community Store, 1944-65
Authors: Balnave, Nikola; Patmore, Greg
Abstract: The Barossa Community Store in Nuriootpa is Australia’s largest and most successful surviving Rochdale co-operative store. It is located in the Barossa Valley, the centre of one of Australia’s major wine growing regions. This paper explores the origins of the store against the background of the German heritage of the Valley and the community movement that developed in the town and attracted both national and international interest. The early years of the store, which arose from the result of the mutualisation of a successful non-co-operative retailer, saw tensions between leaders of the co-operative and the broader community over whether surpluses should be retained by the co-operative or ploughed back into the community. The co-operative saw need to raise capital to grow by seeking additional sources of capital beyond members’ shares. Management also had to face the challenge of changing retail practices, which gradually saw the shift to self-service and the opening of its first supermarket under the Co-operative brand in December 1965.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70532010-12-01T00:00:00ZChanging Parental Leave Orientations in New Zealandhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7052
Title: Changing Parental Leave Orientations in New Zealand
Authors: Kennedy, Ann-Marie; Ravenswood, Katherine
Abstract: New Zealand first introduced legislation for parental leave in 1980, with the Maternity Leave and Employment Protection Act. This Act provided up to 26 weeks of employment protection and unpaid leave for women only. Eligibility required 18 months of continuous employment of 15 hours or more per week for the same employer. Subsequently, there were two major developments in the legislation. In 1987 the introduction of the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act gave men the right to parental leave and reduced eligibility requirements. The second major change was in 2002 with the introduction of paid parental leave in the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Paid Parental Leave) Act. This paper applies Baird’s (2004) typology of maternity leave orientations to analyse the fundamental debates occurring for each of these changes in legislation. An historical approach is used to gain a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the development of parental leave in New Zealand.
Baird’s (2004) typology posits that the debate can be categorised into four orientations. Each represents different stakeholder ideologies towards the Australian debate on paid maternity leave in 2002. This paper illustrates through historical analysis of the social commentary surrounding the aforementioned legislation in New Zealand, that Baird’s typology also accurately portrays the changing orientation towards parental leave and employment protection in New Zealand over time.
However, in contrast to Baird’s analysis, where she proposes that the orientations describe the viewpoints of different parties within the debate, we have found that one orientation dominates the attitudes behind each major change in legislation. Specifically, this study finds that the Bargaining orientation encompasses the dominant arguments, mechanisms and outcomes of the 1980 legislation; the Business orientation maps well to the 1987 legislation; and the Welfare orientation conveys the development and implementation of the 2002 legislation. The New equity orientation, due to the underlying push for equality which led to the instigation of parental leave in the first instance, is applicable to all of the legislation to some extent.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70522010-12-01T00:00:00ZAn Account of the Rise and Fall of the Australian Cameleering Industry, 1830-1930http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7051
Title: An Account of the Rise and Fall of the Australian Cameleering Industry, 1830-1930
Authors: Khan, Amer Saleem
Abstract: The Australian cameleering industry, which thrived in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, played a crucial role in the exploration of the Australian outback, and development of the mineral riches of the new colony. The Australian cameleering industry emerged at that time as one of the most thriving and profitable businesses in Australia. It presents a unique scenario whereby immigrants not only came with highly sought after and locally scarce skills but they also brought their own lucrative transport ‘technology’, camels, to their adopted country. This paper intends to open up the aforementioned industry to the Australian business history scholarship. This paper presents an account of key events of the Australian cameleering industry, in order to elicit feedback for further developing theoretical frameworks for that aspect of hitherto inadequately investigated Australian history.
Two possible lines of investigation would be specifically elaborated for feedback from business history colleagues. First, the paper traces the rise and ultimate demise of the industry in the wake of the introduction of mechanised transport in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; is there a story of an industry going through its life cycle, which could be a good teaching case study in business history? Second, the paper also highlights the dynamics of the cartage industry of that time in terms of the clash between the interests of the powerful and unionised industry incumbents ( the horse and bullock drawn cartage) and the economically more efficient but less politically influential new entrants (the camel carriers). Could this clash of various industry actors also inform policy making on contemporary issues on optimum regulatory responses to managing the interests of various industry actors?
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70512010-12-01T00:00:00ZA Not-So-Gentle Invasion: Changes to Women’s Participation in Public Service Workforces in the 1970shttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/7050
Title: A Not-So-Gentle Invasion: Changes to Women’s Participation in Public Service Workforces in the 1970s
Authors: Colley, Linda
Abstract: The increase in women’s workforce participation is one of the most significant changes to labour markets in recent decades. This research considers the timing, circumstances and effects of the policy changes that affected the participation of women in the Queensland public service (QPS). It traces the construction of the barriers to women’s participation in the early 1900s, and the dismantling of those barriers in the 1970s. It argues that the Queensland government had effectively created secondary labour market conditions for its female employees, through policies such as the marriage bar, restrictions on the quantity of female recruits and different career structures for women. Decisions to relax or remove these decisions required more than social acceptance, but also conducive labour market and economic conditions. Once the Queensland government removed demand-side barriers in the early 1970s and offered female employees the same pay and opportunities as male employees, women flocked into the Queensland public service – not slowly and gradually in response to preferences and supply-side choices, but dramatically in a short period. The proportion of female employees in the QPS increased disproportionately compared to the increases in the broader Australian labour market. By 1975, women comprised 60 per cent of all recruits to QPS, providing an early forecast of the proportion of women in the QPS today.
Description: Peer reviewedWed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70502010-12-01T00:00:00ZArchival Film: New Opportunities for Case Study Development and Presentation?http://hdl.handle.net/2123/7049
Title: Archival Film: New Opportunities for Case Study Development and Presentation?
Authors: Laneyrie, Frances
Abstract: The potential opportunities and limitations of utilising archival film as a primary data source have received very little attention from business historians. Archival film can be a rich source of oral and visual material for the development and presentation of historical case study material, but it can also be utilised as a powerful research tool. The paper draws on the experiences of the author, who produced two films during a study of the history of the South Coast Labour Council (SCLC). The SCLC is the peak union body for the Illawarra region of NSW. During the study access to one of the region’s local television newsreel archives provided a rare opportunity to work with primary data that significantly extended the range of possibilities for rich case study development and presentation. The resulting artefacts included 1) a 15 minutes documentary on the 75 year history of the SCLC and; 2) a two hour set of selected historical excerpts.
The presentation explores first, a range of essential processes that require consideration when working with this form of data. Issues explored include: 1) access, 2) equipment and 3) production processes. Second, the paper explores a range of research methods that allowed a deeper exploration of the history of the organisation post production. This section includes methods for eliciting memories in focus groups and small groups.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/70492010-12-01T00:00:00ZShould Banking be Left to the Bankers? A Comparison of the Great Depression and the Great Financial Crisishttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5744
Title: Should Banking be Left to the Bankers? A Comparison of the Great Depression and the Great Financial Crisis
Authors: Kirkby, Elisabeth Wilma
Abstract: G.K. Chesterton wrote ‘The Secret People’ in 1915, but his words also express the despair felt by the unemployed in the 1930s, struggling against events outside their control.
"They fight us by shuffling papers; they have bright dead alien eyes; And they look on our labour and laughter as a tired man looks at flies. And the load of their loveless pity is worse than the ancient wrongs; Their doors are shut in the evening: and they know no songs."
Unfeeling central bankers and economic theorists dictated monetary policy in the 1930s, confident in their belief that ‘the market is always right’. Any attempt to control financial markets or fiscal policy was anathema, as wild speculation on Wall Street went unchecked. This paper examines the events of the 1930s in Australia, and the way in which bankers in Australia were manipulated by British financial interests in general and the Bank of England in particular. In 2007 and 2008, the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) was a reminder of the Great Depression and the years of unemployment and social unrest; the policies of the econocrats who had boasted that the Great Crash of 1929 could never happen again were proved wrong. It is the aim of this paper to show that history can’t be ignored, that the interests of powerful financial institutions need to be controlled. It is an attempt to understand the mistakes made in Australia in the 1930s, in order to ensure that prudent management and effective regulation will be the way of the future.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57442009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe History of the US Automobile Industry: A Psychological Inquiryhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5742
Title: The History of the US Automobile Industry: A Psychological Inquiry
Authors: Rares, Quintin
Abstract: The US auto industry has been in-and-out of crisis for a number of decades; the question is why? To begin answering this question, the present paper will undertake a case history dating from 1893 (the date of the first one-cylinder car) to the present day, focusing on the ‘boom’ of the early 1900s and the industry’s recent history.
In doing so, this paper will look at how theories in organisational behaviour, psychology and the decision sciences, as well as experimental economics, can benefit from such an historical study. And in a reciprocal nature how those fields of study inform our understanding of why the organisations within the industry behaved in the manner in which they did.
More specifically, the paper will focus on the exploration-exploitation paradigm identified across the aforementioned literature, and will show how psychological factors led car companies to make suboptimal decisions, exploiting known alternatives rather than searching for new opportunities.
Therefore the purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it seeks to undertake brief historical research into the US auto industry. Second, it seeks to show how such research will inform a wide-range of literature. Finally, the paper will demonstrate how those areas of study inform our own understanding of the aforementioned historical events.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57422009-12-01T00:00:00ZOrganisational Paths: How History Matters in a Publishing Organisationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5741
Title: Organisational Paths: How History Matters in a Publishing Organisation
Authors: Schreyögg, Georg; Sydow, Jörg
Abstract: Whilst the notion of path dependence features quite prominently in organisation and business history literature, its actual meaning and logic have remained vague and ambiguous. In order to advance a more precise understanding of the underlying logic we present a theoretical framework explaining how organisations become path-dependent. At its core are the dynamics of self-reinforcing mechanisms, which are likely to lead an organisation into a lock-in. The process of an organisation – or some of its subsystems – becoming path-dependent is conceptualised along three distinct stages. The conceptual model is then used to investigate a German book club that has become path-dependent and, finally, locked-in.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57412009-12-01T00:00:00ZWe’ve Been Down this Road Before: Evidence on the Health Consequences of Precarious Employment in Industrial Societies, 1840-1920http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5733
Title: We’ve Been Down this Road Before: Evidence on the Health Consequences of Precarious Employment in Industrial Societies, 1840-1920
Authors: Quinlan, Michael
Abstract: A large body of international scientific research now indicates that the growth of job insecurity, flexible/temporary work and precarious forms of self-employment have had significant negative consequences for occupational health and safety. What is often overlooked in debates over the ‘changing world of work’ is that today’s widespread use insecure and short term work is not new but represents a return to something more resembling labour markets in Australia, Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th century. As this paper will seek to show, not only were precarious and exploitive working arrangements common during this period but the adverse effects of these on the health, safety and wellbeing was well documented in government inquiries, medical research, press reports and a variety of other sources. Drawing primarily on Australian and British sources, attention here will focus on casual labourers, sweated garment workers, the self-employed and merchant seamen. The paper highlights the valuable role historical research can play in shedding light on contemporary problems and policy debates.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57332009-12-01T00:00:00ZCan Historical Research into Fengshui Tell Us Anything about Business in China?http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5732
Title: Can Historical Research into Fengshui Tell Us Anything about Business in China?
Authors: Paton, Michael
Abstract: The commodification of higher education has been led by business schools in Australia, and they have been accused of teaching merely technique and preaching greed in their manifesto of career and revenue generation. The study of history has been a casualty in this push for the techniques rather than the substance of business. This paper argues that even historical research into a subject as arcane as the traditional Chinese art/science of fengshui can lead to a greater understanding of the context of business in China and therefore of Chinese business practice itself.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57322009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Whole Truth: How History can Inform Our Understanding of Ageing Workforceshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5731
Title: The Whole Truth: How History can Inform Our Understanding of Ageing Workforces
Authors: Colley, Linda
Abstract: The ageing of Australian workforces is a universally accepted truth. In recent years the increasing rate of retirements has been a significant contributor to tight labour markets and skills shortages. The ageing workforce is generally linked to the ageing population, and explained in demographic terms – declining fertility/birth-rates and increasing longevity have changed the population profile, and the number of labour market entrants is only just keeping pace with labour market exits. Policy solutions are then developed from this limited demographic explanation.
I argue that these demographic explanations are overly simplistic and ignore the historical context, particularly in the public sector environment. Since the 1970s, there have been extensive reforms as public sectors have embraced managerial and contractual philosophies, and radically altered both public management and public sector employment relations. These reforms have led to a double-whammy of reduced employment of younger employee cohorts and increased retention of older employee cohorts. This paper focuses on one part of the reform process related to merit and recruitment policies, in the period up until the late 1980s. I argue that the likely ageing of the workforce as a result of these policies could have been predicted beforehand, or at least identified as they occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, if public services had kept better workforce data and undertaken forecasting of workforce trends. Without understanding these historical explanations, policy solutions will be limited in scope, success and sustainability.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57312009-12-01T00:00:00ZCompetition in Retailing: Lessons from the History of Rochdale Consumer Co-operatives in Australiahttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5730
Title: Competition in Retailing: Lessons from the History of Rochdale Consumer Co-operatives in Australia
Authors: Patmore, Greg; Balnave, Nikola
Abstract: Rochdale consumer co-operatives have played an integral role in the lives of many people in particular localities in Australia. The Rochdale movement developed in waves in the period prior to the end of World War II, but went into decline over the following decades. While the movement has collapsed in Australia, a number of Rochdale consumer co-operatives continue to thrive in rural areas of Australia, largely by drawing upon a reciprocal relationship with the local community. A further reason for the survival of these rural co-ops is that they have linked up with franchising. This arrangement – community co-operative ownership and franchising – provides another alternative in the quest to increase competition and reduce market concentration in retailing in Australia.
Description: Not refereedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57302009-12-01T00:00:00ZPassenger Transport in the UK 1920-50: The Drive for 'Co-ordination' of Transport Modeshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5728
Title: Passenger Transport in the UK 1920-50: The Drive for 'Co-ordination' of Transport Modes
Authors: Mulley, Corinne
Abstract: The development of the railway system transformed travel opportunities for people in the nineteenth century. The technological change dominating personal travel in the twentieth century was the development of the internal combustion engine bringing first the private car and then the motor bus. The early twentieth century brought a tension between these two modes in an environment where the UK railways were highly regulated whereas the upsurge of motor traffic was in contrast unregulated. Importantly too, the capital structure of the two modes was quite different. The railways required significant investment, funded by private capital whereas the motor industry, as it became technically efficient, was within the means of individual entrepreneurs.
This paper looks at the way in which transport policy sought to resolve this tension by the proposition of legislation to promote co-ordination and integration. Initially the approach to ‘transport problem’ was on a mode by mode basis (railways and then motor buses) but after World War II, nationalisation tried to consider a more holistic approach. The paper identifies the way in which the UK appears to have developed differently from its European neighbours and identifies as a critical point that UK policy was always clouded by a discussion of ownership and the role that this played in the ability to ‘co-ordinate’ or ‘integrate’ transport services.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57282009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Deep Veins of the Sons of Gwalia Litigationhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5727
Title: The Deep Veins of the Sons of Gwalia Litigation
Authors: Di Lernia, Cary
Abstract: This paper engages in a doctrinal analysis of historical precedent on aggrieved shareholder claims in the UK. It does so in order to expose the basis for the judgment of the House of Lords in the foundational case of Houldsworth v City of Glasgow Bank (1880) 5 App Cas 317, which held in cases involving fraudulent or misleading behaviour inducing share purchase that it would be inconsistent with a shareholder’s membership contract to ‘claim back’ amounts originally committed to the company for the pursuit of its business objects and the payment of its liabilities. This analysis will demonstrate that the judgments in Houldsworth (which have prevented shareholders ranking on par with unsecured creditors up until the determination of the High Court in Sons of Gwalia Ltd (admin apptd) v Margaretic (2007) HCA 1) ignored relevant legislation in the form of s 38(7) of the Companies Act 1862 UK which was specifically applicable to cases involving aggrieved shareholder claims, instead relying on principles drawn from the law of partnerships to decide the case. While it is submitted that the High Court was justified in choosing not to apply Houldsworth, the rule may still prove good law in certain circumstances. Having been the subject of a recent Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee review the issue of aggrieved shareholder claims is current as ever, though the veins of the problem run rather deep in the history of Australian and UK corporations law. This paper seeks to illustrate the value of a deeper understanding of the history of such claims to making informed policy decisions going forward. The paper argues that the rule in Houldsworth’s case should be abrogated by legislation in order to provide certainty in this technical area of the law.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57272009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Concept of Socipe in Societal Planning: An Historical Approachhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5726
Title: The Concept of Socipe in Societal Planning: An Historical Approach
Authors: Thompson, Ann-Marie
Abstract: This paper presents a new theoretical framework that has been explored through historical methods. The Socipe framework combines Podgórecki’s Sociotechnical paradigm with the communication aspects of the diffusion process. The Socipe framework follows the decision making process of a Government for a Socipe decision. A Socipe decision is conceptualised here for the first time and is a macro level decision which affects every group in the society and in which other environmental and social factors are independently facilitating the same sought after change in behaviour. Historical methodology and methods have been used to illustrate the Socipe framework in the context of the deregulation of shop trading hours in New Zealand.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57262009-12-01T00:00:00ZCar Parking Matters to Small Retailers: An Historical Case Study of Three Town Centres in Marrickvillehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5725
Title: Car Parking Matters to Small Retailers: An Historical Case Study of Three Town Centres in Marrickville
Authors: Moutou, Claudine
Abstract: Increasing the costs of car parking and in some cases removing it has become recommended practice for discouraging car use. To understand the perspective of the high street retail cluster who will be confronted with such changes, the paper reviews a time when another change in mobility and access led to car parking construction. A case study of local newspaper coverage between 1968-87 about car parks in the Marrickville Council area is analysed for themes, using a sociological framework of mobility. The paper concludes that while policies of the past may have prioritised economic needs the paradigm shift of sustainable decision making means that future policy implementation will be more complex. In town centres this requires more attention to be paid to the needs of those not engaged in the policy debate, but who are dependent upon the existing infrastructure of car parking. Small retail businesses are one such group.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57252009-12-01T00:00:00ZExploring Channel Evolution with Historyhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5724
Title: Exploring Channel Evolution with History
Authors: Young, Louise; Bairstow, Nigel
Abstract: This paper discusses the evolution of the distribution channel of the Australian Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry over a 21 year period, introducing an effectiveness of the methods used to investigate this. The paper opens with a discussion of the value of historical analysis, arguing that ‘applying history helps us by identifying the reasons for important transitions’. A historical focus both allows us to interpret the past via the identification of key events that triggered change; and by considering the patterns that these form; we are able to surmise the impact of present and future events. The practical problems associated with extended longitudinal research have been well documented and include substantial resources required, drop out, poor choice of focus (as one cannot foresee if research subjects will evolve in ways of interest to the researchers), etc. This paper illustrates an effective way of overcoming at least some of these problems by using archival material in combination with narrative event analysis and any necessary clarification and augmentation provided via depth interviews with industry experts. Narrative event analysis enables consideration of the important explanations that can emerge from considering timing, order and interaction of events over simple correlation between variables. The analysis enables consideration of ‘moving pictures’ of networks as they evolve rather than only static pictures. The analysis of archival data avoids problems of imperfect recall and because the material used (articles in trade journals published during the review period) is from the perspective of many different observers, we also avoid dependence on the perspectives and interpretations of only a few observers. The paper focuses on a description of the classification and coding of the archival data for events using structural conditions topography. One of the key findings is that the following mechanisms/conditions are appropriate for classification and interrelating of the processes and the events of the channel’s evolution. Market conditions which relate to preferred structure of the optimum channel network, size of market, industry growth, competition relating to number of vendors and distribution partners in the channel, long term strategic trends and the frequency of mergers and acquisitions were important drivers. Product conditions are connected to market conditions and these play a particularly important role in the information technology market where there is a constant emergence of new products and technology with products superseding other products and with short product life-cycles. Influence conditions (i.e. social mechanisms) are concerned responses to product and market conditions, in particular with how vendor distributor relationships are managed by vendor distributor management. This involves fit in terms of organisation culture and expectations between vendor and distributor, fit of personality of account manager on vendor distributor side, inter personal skills of account manager, communication frequency, interpersonal skills and how conflicts are managed. Commercial agreement conditions (risk/return profile of distribution) are the final key mechanism. This relates to the vendor commercial distributor agreement, basic functions, channel strategy, nature of commercial relationship, performance targets and formal reporting. The paper presents a portion of the analysis of the archival data using this frame to show the interrelationships of these four categories. Structural conditions have a significant impact on the structural evolution of the channel and on the relationships within the channel of distribution. Structural evolution is driven in part by market conditions. Mergers and acquisitions have resulted in increased channel consolidation and the emergence of fewer channel partners and this has moved the relationship processes from high conflict and adversarial to highly collaborative forms – though these do often include considerable conflict. Product conditions relating to convergence of new product technology over time have also impacted on channel structure expanding the channel further into retail and online alternatives. However this greater complexity of tasks (in conjunction with adversarial history) has resulted in the need for increasing levels of channel coordination to manage and resolve the considerable conflicts that continue to emerge. Evolution of commercial conditions has resulted in more professionalism and a formalised partner planning process which in turn is impacting on the influence conditions. The paper concludes with a discussion of further development of this methodology and the further analysis that will be undertaken.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57242009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Use and Abuse of Business Historyhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5723
Title: The Use and Abuse of Business History
Authors: Walker, Miranda; Mees, Bernard
Abstract: The use of history in vocational undergraduate courses is contested. Although there has been a recent push to bolster the teaching of history in Australian secondary schools, history in business courses still often seems only to linger at the margins. Pleas to include historical approaches to business education are made from time to time that suggest a role for history in the curriculum that is essentially not historical – they often highlight the skills history students develop or the broader humanistic understanding usually associated with historical knowledge, not necessarily ones based on what is unique to history. This paper argues that historical analysis is essentially different than that represented by other traditional disciplines and that this fundamental aspect of history should be at the core of arguments to include business history in course curriculums.
Description: Peer reviewedTue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57232009-12-01T00:00:00ZUsing Historical Perspective to Enhance Understanding of the Relationship Between Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Diversity Managementhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5722
Title: Using Historical Perspective to Enhance Understanding of the Relationship Between Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Diversity Management
Authors: Groutsis, Dimitria; Taksa, Lucy
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the value of considering Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Affirmative Action (AA) and Diversity Management (DM) and the relationships between them from an historical perspective. By locating all three policies and/or strategies in the specific historical contexts in which they emerged, the paper considers analogous political, social and legal developments that emerged concurrently, and whether they had an impact on the way that EEO, AA and DM have been practised and represented. For our purposes, such developments include multicultural and productive diversity policies and anti-discrimination laws. This approach makes it possible to uncover the similarities and differences between these policies/practises and also patterns of change and continuity. On this basis, the paper indicates how ahistorical approaches to EEO/AA and DM have prevented understandings of and engagement with the workplace experiences of migrant workers from non-English speaking backgrounds, thereby contributing to a lack of insight into inter-cultural relations in organisations composed of women and men from a wide range of countries, linguistic groups and cultures.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57222009-12-01T00:00:00ZCollective Biography and Labour History: The Case of The Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5721
Title: Collective Biography and Labour History: The Case of The Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975
Authors: Shields, John; Moore, Andrew
Abstract: As a research method, collective biography seems ideally suited to meeting one of the core concerns of labour history – that of acknowledging simultaneously the agency of the individual within the collective, as well as the influence of the collective on the individual. Indeed, this has been one of the key objectives of The Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975, a project on which we have both been working for over a decade and which is nearing completion. The Register, which we are planning to publish in both hard copy and CD form, incorporates brief (300-700 word) biographical entries over 2,000 women and men whose contribution to the history of organised labour in Australian has hitherto been either undocumented or under-documented.
Drawing on our own experiences, and on those of researchers undertaking similar projects in Britain and the USA, our paper explores the particular challenges and potential rewards of collective labour biography. If producing a detailed biographical study of a single labour personality can be conceptually and empirically problematic, attempting to do justice simultaneously to the life’s work of many hundreds of labour activists presents its own special problems. Not the least of these are the issues of representativeness, sampling, selection, and information availability.
Yet the project has also been immensely rewarding. The Register entries assist us to better explain the often deeply personal well-springs of labour activism. Our paper explores some significant demographic factors and trends revealed in the Register entries: birthplace; parental occupation; residency, family structure and size, religion, education level; marital status; age at first activism; longevity of activism; and the like. On these and other dimensions, gender proves to be pivotal. The entries also allow us to illuminate the changing institutional dimensions of activism, together with some hitherto submerged socio-spatial facets of the collective experience. These range from patterns of inter-regional and inter-occupational migration by worker activists, and the importance of intellectual, social and sporting networks in inspiring and sustaining activism, to the shifting nature of working class ‘leadership’ and the vast significance of voluntary labour in the very maintenance of labour organisation.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57212009-12-01T00:00:00ZWhen History is Ignored: Business Black Swans and the Use and Abuse of a Notionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5720
Title: When History is Ignored: Business Black Swans and the Use and Abuse of a Notion
Authors: Clarke, Frank; Dean, Graeme
Abstract: Historical enquiry reveals how ideas mutate. This account of the ideas underpinning how fair value accounting (FVA) drifted into corporate financial reporting shows that a primary lesson of business history is that we ignore history at our peril, that frequently we encourage the recall of history for possibly the wrong reason – to supposedly ‘learn lessons’ regarding what we might or might not repeat. It might be more fruitful to use history to gain insight into the development of the ideas (good and bad) that delivered us to where we are.
The case of fair value is shown to have drifted from the basis for a specific purpose calculation into a general application in accounting statements of financial position and financial performance. The Mark-to-Market (MtM) dispute during the current global financial crisis has nurtured further mutation of its FVA predecessor. What originally arose as an attempt to disclose a present financial state or condition is being denied by many in the name of the alleged virtue of hiding it. Doing so contradicts what history tells us has been the focus from when fair value accidentally ‘drifted’ into the accounting for adaptive companies. Our analysis also highlights historical enquiry aptly showing how accounting is conducive to politicization – an easy victim of interested parties’ special pleading, corrupting its technology function primarily because it is inconvenient to have accounting data tell it how it is.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57202009-12-01T00:00:00ZThe Benefits (and Limitations) of Business History to the Study of Management and Organisations: The Example of the Global Diffusion of Management Knowledgehttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5719
Title: The Benefits (and Limitations) of Business History to the Study of Management and Organisations: The Example of the Global Diffusion of Management Knowledge
Authors: Wright, Christopher
Abstract: This paper explores the contribution of a business history perspective to the study of management and organisational studies. While business history tends to be devalued within management academic groupings, this paper argues an historical approach to the study of management and organisational topics can not only provide a corrective to contemporary assumptions of the novelty of phenomena, but also prove useful in enriching conceptual debates and theories. However, to have a real impact in this area, it is argued business history needs to adopt a far more ambitious approach to theoretical and conceptual engagement in order to demonstrate its contribution and relevance. The paper uses examples from two recent studies undertaken by the author and colleagues on the history of global management consultancy to demonstrate the advantages of the historical approach for the study of management and organisation. The paper concludes by suggesting areas in which business history could have particular academic purchase in the study of management and organisations.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57192009-12-01T00:00:00ZBusiness History as Capstone Courseshttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/5718
Title: Business History as Capstone Courses
Authors: Colquhoun, Philip
Abstract: Based on studies of history courses in Business Schools, this paper argues that history can be an alternative to the technically driven capstone courses used in many Business Schools.
Universities in general and Business Schools in particular are facing growing pressure to demonstrate that they have delivered the skills and academic content they state they do. Government funding bodies are becoming increasingly interested in what is being learnt at university rather than funding teaching. Within Business Schools, the US based AACSB through the introduction of assurance of learning standards require accredited Schools to address and measure student learning in ways that have not been required previously.
The Business School curriculum has grown significantly. The increase in the body of knowledge of individual disciplines and the establishment of new business disciplines, combined with the increased complexity of business, have resulted in an increase in the expectations of business graduates. At the same time concerns about the lack of generic skills in graduates, has resulted in increased calls for their inclusion in the Business School curriculum. Most Business Schools include communication, research and critical thinking skills as graduate attributes.
One way that Business Schools are responding to the requirement to demonstrate that they have delivered both the expanding academic content and the “soft skills” the market place demand, is through capstone courses. These courses are often in business or financial management strategy, with a focus on technical analysis using case studies. Within these courses students are expected to demonstrate a range of skills and academic knowledge.
This paper argues that business history courses offer an alternative to the technically driven capstone courses. Business history courses would be particularly relevant for students, staff and/or institutions seeking a more liberal business degree. The study of history is known to instil in students a range of transferable skills. The historian’s craft of data collection, selection, analysis, synthesis and communication are key skills desired in most Business School graduates. Business history requires the application and integration of core business knowledge as part of the historian craft. History with its acceptance of multiple frameworks and differing theoretical assumptions encourages faculty and students to approach issues from a variety of perspectives. History with its demand for context can provide richer insights than the often seen ahistorical case study; alerting students to the context and temporal nature of their studies. Courses in the existing literature can provide models for developing business history capstone courses that cover graduate attributes and their measurement in a manner that is aligned with a more liberal business education.
Description: Not refereed. Abstract only.Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2123/57182009-12-01T00:00:00Z